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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Why Batman, Inc.?

Welcome to the newest franchise of Batman, Inc. The one stop for all your crime-fighting and innocent-protecting needs.

In the coming week, you will be acquainted with all the most important aspects of our enterprise. You will get to meet some of the newest recruits and trainees from around the world, study from established heroes who have joined our cause under the umbrella of our company, and even gain insight into the complicated corporate structure of our organization.

@MK: It's a free license to write whatever you want as long as it's related to Batman, Inc. YOu can write new characters, old characters as new members of the Batman family, or Bruce Wayne dealing with Batman, Inc. stuff.

And the separation in the labels was totally unintentional. Thanks for pointing it out.

And of course Joker would create an evil counterpart. :-P I had ideas for an alternate 'Inc' group coming into the picture, but I think you've done a better job with the idea than what I would have come up with.

Panel 1:Wide panel. Scene is on top of GCPD Headquarters. In the background, the BATSIGNAL is lit up. BATMAN (Dick Grayson), ROBIN (Damian Wayne), BATGIRL (Stephanie Brown), and COMMISSIONER GORDON are all in the foreground.

BATGIRL and ROBIN are next to each other. While ROBIN acts like he’s paying BATGIRL no more attention than he needs to, BATGIRL looks at ROBIN. BATMAN and COMMISSIONER GORDON are standing next to one another conversing.

BATMAN: (To GORDON) So you didn’t activate the Batsignal?

GORDON: (To BATMAN) Not this time, no.

ROBIN: (To BATGIRL) Since when do you respond to the Batsignal?

BATGIRL: (To ROBIN) Is there a rule saying I can’t?

ROBIN: (To BATGIRL) Don’t you have some harmless comedic villain to go fight?

BATGIRL: (Thought balloon) Hello to you too, Bat-Brat.

Panel 2:All four of them turn to look at a voice that’s coming from off-panel.

Panel 3:Panel shows a mysterious individual standing in the shadows – for reference, this is LEX LUTHOR, though this information should not be revealed to the audience in this panel.

LEX LUTHOR: As it so happens, today I became majority shareholder in Wayne Industries. There’s a lot of legal and corporate terms involved, but I’ll spare you the details.

Panel 4:LEX LUTHOR steps into the light, revealing his identity for the individuals present and the reader.

LUTHOR: Suffice it to say that Wayne Industries and all subsidiaries now belong to LexCorp. That includes Batman, Inc.

As I’m sure your brilliant minds have figured out, that also means that Gotham’s finest aside…

Panel 5:Panel focuses on BATMAN, ROBIN, and BATGIRL. BATMAN looks confused, as if he doesn’t believe it could possibly be true. ROBIN looks like he really wishes he could kill LEX LUTHOR, and could pull it off if he was just given permission. BATGIRL looks shocked.

Panels 1, 2, and 3 are each thin panels that take up their own row, repeated shots. Together, they make up about half the page. Panels 4, 5, and 6 are all taller than they are wide, and fill out the bottom of the page as their own row.

Panel 1: The Iceberg Lounge’s private offices. Narrow panel that takes up the first row of the page. Side-on shot of PENGUIN and BRUCE WAYNE (billionaire playboy) having a business meeting. The emphasis here should be on contrast. PENGUIN’s side of the room is ornate, covered in iceberg-shaped chandeliers. His desk is covered with trophies, plaques…anything meant to look impressive. His chair is large, cushy, velvet, but the overall effect is to make him look crumpled, angry and small. Two muscled, blue-suited bodyguards just behind his seat, on either side. BRUCE WAYNE’s side of the room is…austere. Sparse. PENGUIN surrounds himself with his pretty objects, like a magpie. BRUCE’s chair is small, wooden, plain, but he sits in it like it’s a throne. He’s comfortable, warm, friendly. He probably just finished trading some jokes with the bouncer. Next to him is a steel briefcase, propped against the chair. Color-scheme-wise, PENGUIN in his traditional tux, and BRUCE, in his sharp suit, stand out as two spots of stark black and white against a field of pale blues and golds.

Panel 4: Shot from behind PENGUIN’s chair. BRUCE is standing directly in front of the desk, hand on the briefcase handle, holding it vertically on the desk. His face is harder, his posture tall and imposing. He’s not Batman. He’s Bruce Wayne the cutthroat businessman, the man that’s made Wayne Enterprises a massive success behind closed doors.

BRUCE: Operating in the public eye lets me exercise certain resources on Batman’s behalf. To make his life that much easier.

Panel 5: Wayne is offering him a briefcase full of cash—we don’t need to show it, the readers can guess easily enough. Instead we get a tight shot of Oswald’s face, tight with concentration. Beyond his eccentricities, PENGUIN is a businessman.

BRUCE (off-panel): I want to buy you out. Take over your business. Turn it legitimate.BRUCE (2): Use your resources for my own ends.

Panel 6: Close up on BRUCE’s hand, the one holding the briefcase handle. His grip is tight. His knuckles stand out. His cuff-links are Batman symbols.

Panel 1- (Batcave Int.) Batman(Bruce) is standing next to Batman(Dick) behind them is the bat computer.

Dick- so this is the new batman inc representative?

Bruce- sigh Yep....

Panel 2-(Batcave int.) Profile of Bruce, Dick is facing him only half of dicks face is shown.

Dick- does his territory really need its own batman inc representative?

Bruce- Look, his show is hot right now and if we can use his popularity to gain support for batman inc then it will be worth it.

Dick- But Bruce....he named his abs.......

Panel 3- (Batcave Int.)a full body shot of what is obviously the “Situation” in his own version of a batman suit. His abs are exposed and he is posed in his usual stance pointing at his abs like a jerk.

@Aryeh: Something similar happened during No Man's Land, when Luthor tried to buy Wayne Corp, or at least a good portion of Gotham. Still, it is a nice idea, and I think Bruce would probably let Luthor think he has gotten away with it.

@Michael: You had me until halfway, but you lost me with Bieber. Snooki should have been Robin!

At some point during Bruce Wayne's recruitment campaign. A few of the earlier Batman Inc. members have been active for a number of months by this point.

1 – Two young men are walking around downtown Toronto at night. There are a few other people around them, lots of cars parked on the side of the street, and a number passing through at the nearby intersection. The first man seems quite excited, the second looks annoyed, as if unhappy by their current topic of conversation.

Caption: Toronto, Canada

Man 1: Have you heard?

Man 1 (2): Bruce Wayne is here.

Man 1 (3): In Toronto.

Man 2: This doesn't mean we're getting a Batman.

2 – A rooftop. A fight is about to begin. A lone figure stands to one side, three stand to the other. It will not be a fair fight.

The figures are not established DC characters. The lone figure is the Maple Leaf, a hero who, as his name suggests, dresses in a red and white costume adorned with the Canadian maple leaf (think Captain Canuck / Guardian from Alpha Flight). The other three are Lumber Jack, the Mad Mountie (a Mountie with a Snidely Whiplash moustache), and Phantom Ice (cold powers).

Man 2 (caption): And it will go on without us. Americans always forget about Canada.

3 – Panel as seen through binoculars. The fight begins. Phantom Ice fires a blast of ice towards where the Maple Leaf was standing, but the Maple Leaf has already moved forward, leaping over Lumber Jack and knocking him to the ground. At the same time, the Maple Leaf throws a couple of projectiles (maple leaves, of course) in the direction of the Mad Mountie and Phantom Ice.

Man 2 (caption): To them we're just really polite people who love hockey and live in igloos. And that's if they think of us at all. Bruce Wayne is no different.

4 – A bit further back from the rooftop. The skirmish is still visible; however, Batman is now in the foreground of the panel, watching the fight and evaluating the Maple Leaf. It seems as if the Canadian hero will win, for both Lumber Jack and the Mad Mountie have been knocked out. Only Phantom Ice remains standing. The two stand facing each other, preparing their next moves.

Man 2 (caption): Face it, we'll get another NHL team before we get a Canadian Batman.

JD - love the twist. Joker Inc. is one of those ideas that is BOUND to happen, but I really didn't see it coming in this story.

MK - another of those ideas that's begging to happen... I particularly loved Damian's line.

Aryeh - this is excellent, from the completely unrealistic yet wonderfully comic book decor of the meeting room to the playful way you write Bruce to the final lines, with just that hint of Batman. Really impressive.

Michael - scariest thing I've read in a long time. Stop it. Now.

Grant - I liked the way you played this for laughs, but my initial reading of the script suggested quite a different conclusion. I thought perhaps Batman was evaluating one of the men narrating, not the Canadian superheroes. I guess I wrote my own twist...

@Rol - You are absolutely right. Those two guys shouldn't be there unless they're relevant to the story in some way. I felt like something was a little off about that page, but wanted to get it done and posted. Clearly, I was a little hasty.

I don't know what the protocol is about this (or if there is one), but this is what I should have posted originally. I can delete the original post if that is preferable.

5 panels. Panels 1 and 2 take up the top quarter of the page. The remaining three panels all stretch across the page, taking up a quarter each.

Winter in Toronto. At some point during Bruce Wayne's recruitment campaign. A few of the earlier Batman Inc. Members have been active for a number of months by this point.

1 – Two heroes, the Maple Leaf (think Captain Canuck / Guardian from Alpha Flight) and Louis Lacrosse (think Casey Jones but with a lacrosse stick and a full helmet), sit at a table at a coffee shop. They are both drinking coffees and eating donuts. From the amount of donut they have left, it appears that they are almost done. Louis's visor is flipped up so he can drink his coffee and his lacrosse stick is lying on the table. From his expression, he seems quite excited, while the Maple Leaf looks more annoyed, as if unhappy by their current topic of conversation. None of the other patrons seem to think it odd that two heroes are having coffee in full costume.

Louis Lacrosse: Have you heard?

Louis Lacrosse (2): Bruce Wayne is here.

Louis Lacrosse (3): In Toronto.

Maple Leaf: That doesn't mean we're getting a Batman.

2 – Louis, in his excitement, bangs his fist down on the table, knocking his coffee over. The Maple Leaf seems unimpressed, but not terribly surprised by this action.

Maple Leaf: And it will go on without us. Americans always forget about Canada.

3 – The two heroes clean up the spilt coffee with some napkins, continuing their conversation.

Maple Leaf: To them we're just really polite people who love hockey and live in igloos. And that's if they think of us at all. Bruce Wayne is no different.

4 – Panel as seen through binoculars. The outside of the coffee shop. The two heroes, done with their coffees, are heading out to continue with their day. It is snowing lightly. The Maple Leaf holds the door open for Louis. The panel is centred on The Maple Leaf, with only part of Louis visible.

Maple Leaf: Face it, we'll get another NHL team before we get a Canadian Batman.

Louis Lacrosse: *sigh* I guess you're right.

5 – A rooftop across the street. Batman stands on the roof with binoculars and a listening device, making it clear that he's been watching and listening to the entire conversation. He holds a hand to his ear, illustrating that he is using his radio. The Maple Leaf and Louis are visible down below on the street.

Dick (on radio): You must be enjoying the cold, Bruce; you're certainly taking your time up there. You found anyone yet?

1-Wide shot from above of the Terracotta Army pits in China. It's night and thousands of soldiers stand guard but if you pay close enough attention you can make out the yellow of BATMAN'S symbol smack dab in the middle.CAPTION-Xi'an, Shaanxi, China

2-Close up of BATMAN peering through high-tech binoculars. He's partially hidden in the shadows of the statue.

CAPTION-I really don't feel too guilty about breaking so many international laws but-

3-A huge, ornate double door dug into the earth. The doors themselves are stone and have giant knockers hanging off of them. Chinese symbols are carved above the door.

CAPTION-Jackpot.

4-Side view of BATMAN running between two statues towards his destination with a slight smile.

CAPTION-So good so far.

5-In the foreground we see the back of BATMAN just a few yards from the door. Blocking his way is the entire GREAT TEN, ready to take down any intruders.AUGUST GENERAL IN IRON- Halt! You are trespassing on official government property.

THUNDERMIND-It's the American Bat! Don't underestimate his miniscule stature.

SHOALIN ROBOT- Your demise will be a great victory for the Chairman.

CAPTION- I wonder if they'd be more welcoming if they knew I was here to recruit of of them.